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'Goodnight Scotland, no quarter-finals again': The Rugby Pod's World Cup 2023 draw verdict
Former England out-half Andy Goode has had a giggle at the expense of his Rugby Pod co-host Jim Hamilton, merrily quipping that Scotland are facing World Cup pool stage elimination in 2023 – the same fate they suffered in 2019.
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Monday’s pool stage draw for the 2023 finals in France resulted in the Scots getting pitted against defending champions South Africa and Ireland, the team that beat them twice in 2020 after hammering them in a group fixture at Japan 2019.
That opening round World Cup loss 15 months ago in Yokohama left Gregor Townsend’s team on the back foot in their pool and while they secured subsequent wins over Samoa and Russia, Scotland were beaten in a final game shootout with host nation Japan.
That 2019 outcome was a far cry from what occurred in 2015 when Scotland were robbed of qualification for the World Cup semi-finals due to a controversial refereeing decision versus Australia in the quarter-finals in London.
Now faced with tackling the Springboks and the Irish in 2023 following a 2020 calendar year that ended with the dejection of sobering Nations Cup defeats at home to France and away to Ireland, ex-England No10 Goode couldn’t resist having a lighthearted dig at his show colleague Hamilton, the ex-Scotland lock who featured at RWC 2011.
The experts are in this week to open up on some important topics that have hit the rugby world of late.
We also take a look at Champions Cup action, World Cup pools and some JUICY rumours in the rumour mill ?
— The Rugby Pod (@TheRugbyPod) December 15, 2020
Hamilton, in his reply, made mention of ex-Ireland coach Eddie O’Sullivan who was especially critical of Scotland following their December 5 defeat in Dublin, claiming they are not as good as they think they are. After listening to a post-game interview with Stuart Hogg, O’Sullivan, now an Irish TV pundit, replied at the time: “We’ve seen all this before.
“They always talk themselves up, they always talk a great game. They have some deluded notion that they are better than they are. I’m not being harsh. These guys haven’t won here in ten years, they’ve won three times against Ireland in nearly 20 years. It’s just deluded. They talk themselves up, they come in, and then they implode. We have seen this time and time again.”
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Goode warmed to this negative theme on The Rugby Pod when discussing Monday’s RWC draw:
AG: Goodnight Scotland, no quarter-finals again eh, Jim!
JH: You’re tweeting that and people who are Scottish probably are coming at you on social media. What have Scotland got to do with it? What about another team, what about Wales with Fiji and Australia? What do you mean they are going to struggle to get out of their group as well – what are you on about?
AG: You ain’t Welsh, mate. I like to keep it real between our little circle. Scotland, you have got Ireland and South Africa as the first two seeds and you’re third seed – you ain’t getting to the quarter-finals again, Jim.
JH: I’ll tell you how we will get to the quarter-finals. If Eddie O’Sullivan comes in and goes through that 3-2-1-7-9 play with the pod at the back with the rushed defence decoy stuff out the back with the boot over the 3 and the 2 and the 1, we can beat Ireland if Eddie O’Sullivan comes to the fore and helps us out of our group. We’re going to struggle. Who knows, though? It’s a long time away. Why are they doing it now, why Christmas, why?
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AG: It’s a Christmas present all you Scottish fans that you ain’t getting to the quarter-finals. Mate, it is strange. We are two-and-a-half years out from a World Cup and they are doing the draw now, I don’t get it. It’s all around the World Rugby rankings at the minute, isn’t it, and we’re going to see a lot of change. The World Cup is a hell of a long way away but out of all the tier one nations, the happiest is England because we have got Japan and Argentina. We might as well put the kids out and we’ll win that.
JH: So humble.
AG: So honest. But no, Argentina just beat New Zealand so it is going to be tough. They have come in as tier three seeds.
England's top flight could have a new TV home in 2021/2022https://t.co/8lOjOzbN9v
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) December 16, 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
The shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
1 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
8 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
56 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
8 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
61 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
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